A Dreadful Bond
by Zero401
Summary: It was a woman, as changing and harsh and untameable as the sea. He never stopped loving her. Davy Jones and Calypso origin story.
1. Chapter 1

**A Dreadful Bond**

_Chapter 1_

_The Thief_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of the characters. **

He could hear their rapid footsteps behind him, trying desperately to catch up to him, shouting and cursing. Luckily for David Jones, he had always been quick on his feet as he manoeuvred through the noisy crowd, clutching the glorious item he had stolen to his chest. He couldn't understand why the police officers were making this much fuss, it was only a loaf of bread yet they were acting as if he had stolen the crown jewels themselves.

David had been living on the streets since his mother died of the flu when he was six, now two years later he had grown accustomed to stealing anything he needed but unfortunately for him everyone else around him didn't understand. He turned into a tight alleyway almost slipping on the wet cobblestones, looking over his shoulder to see three officers gaining up on him; David knew if they caught up with him it'll be the workhouse, possibly prison or worse for him.

He came out the alleyway and onto the docks, there were sailors everywhere carrying barrels and crates full of food and drinks in preparation of a voyage. This was David's chance of losing the officers; he swerved in between the cargo trying to confuse his pursuers whilst pushing several crewmen out of his way. Until finally he saw it, the perfect size crate for him to hide in, with the crowded dock he could no longer see the officers and hoped they could not see him as he lifted the lid and jumped in. He waited there as he tried to catch his breath, his feet and legs aching from running so far and so fast. The officers were shouting amongst themselves, 'catch that boy', 'I want him found' David could hear them cry over the sound of his heartbeat in his ears.

Suddenly he felt the crate shift, 'what the hell is in this crate? It seems much heavier than the others'. David eyes widened in horror, he was about to be carried onto the ship, he was about to draw the sailors attention to his presence so he could get out when he heard the continual shouting from the police. He knew if he gave away his location now he would be caught, even though he feared the sea, he'd rather be a stowaway than the possibility of meeting the hangman's noose.

The crate was finally put down in the cargo hold, where David finally realised he was surrounded by apples in this crate. _At least I won't go hungry_, David thought to himself. He picked up a shiny red apple and bit into it, enjoying the sweet crunchy flesh as his stomach growled, he didn't realise how much all that running had made him hungry. He allowed himself to temporarily relax whilst contemplating his predicament; he had a love/hate relationship with the sea. He remembered his mother telling him stories about how his father had died at sea but he would look out at the ocean, watching the waves crashing on the shore, looking out to the horizon that led to anywhere and everywhere. How could something so amazing, so beautiful be capable of killing someone. He could feel his eyelids grow heavy, tired from the running, he desperately tried to fight to stay awake but eventually sleep won.

'_Davy Jones…..wake up Davy Jones'_ he could hear a woman's voice with an accent he couldn't quite place _'wake up' _David didn't know why but her voice soothed and comforted him, when suddenly there was a rough tug on the front of his shirt. 'Wake up boy' growled a harsh deep voice, opening his eyes quickly he came face to face with one of the sailors 'looks like we have a stowaway' the sailor cruelly grinned showing the very few teeth he had.

'Hey Jimmy' the crewman shouted over his shoulder, still holding onto David's shirt whilst throwing him out of the crate.

'What is it now, Toothpick?' said a young lad, as he walked through the maze of cargo, spotting the small boy with a confused expression.

'Looks like you're not the youngest on this ship anymore' Toothpick sniggered 'do ye know what happens to stowaways, boy?' David shook his head vigorously but he knew by the look on Toothpick's face it wasn't going to be anything good. 'They get flogged' he laughed as he begun unbuckling his belt.

'The captain will want to see him' Jimmy spoke up suddenly, hoping to deter Toothpick from harming the boy.

'And the captain will see him after I'm done' Toothpick raised his belt, David tensed up waiting for impact but again Jimmy came to his rescue, grabbing hold of the man's arm.

'He won't be happy if ye hurt the boy without his command' Jimmy reasoned. Toothpick looked at Jimmy angrily then back at David.

'Seems it's your lucky day boy' he huffed as he dragged David towards the captain's cabin.

The first thing David noticed as he was brought on deck was the smell of the salty sea air, the sound of the waves as they hit the side of the hull and the eyes of the sailors staring at him as he was pushed through the captain's doors. David looked up to see an older gentleman sitting at a desk, he black hair and a beard both going grey through aging, brown eyes holding a slightly bemused look about them, darting between himself, Toothpick and Jimmy.

'Captain, I found this boy in the cargo hold. A stowaway, I request permission to punish him' smiled Toothpick.

The captain didn't reply to his sailor instead he stood up and walked over to the boy, kneeling down in front of him so they were looking at each other eye to eye. 'What's your name boy?' he softly asked.

'David Jones, sir' the boy said quietly.

The captain smiled 'Good to meet you young David Jones, I'm Captain John Ryder' the captain extended his hand towards David, to which the boy extended his own and gently shook the captain's. Toothpick looked outraged at the kindness the captain was showing to this boy.

'Captain Ryder he should be…'

'I believe you have duties on deck' the captain interrupted not wanting to listen to his sailor's cruelty any longer.

'Aye captain' Toothpick said abruptly turning round and storming out the door, leaving Jimmy alone with the boy and the captain.

'So how is it you find yourself on my ship, young David?' the boy shifted, swaying slightly side to side whilst looking on the floor, Jimmy noticed David's actions and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder gently.

'Ye need not be afraid, Davy. Tell the captain how ye got in the crate'.

Davy? That's what the woman had called him before Toothpick had woken him up and now Jimmy had called him that.

Thinking about how that woman's voice had calmed him, he looked up at the captain 'I stole a loaf of bread, sir. The officers were after me so I hid'

The captain hummed in response as he was lost in thought for a moment 'you're an orphan?'

'Yes, sir' David replied.

The captain smiled warmly 'not anymore, young David. For this crew is now your new family. Jimmy would you be willing to look out for our new sailor here and teach him the ropes?' besides they were in the middle of the Atlantic with no land for miles, they couldn't exactly throw the boy overboard.

'Aye Captain' Jimmy squeezed David shoulder reassuringly. David looked at the captain not quite believing how this day had turned out, one minute he's a homeless orphan in Scotland stealing bread, the next he's on a ship in the middle of the ocean, a sailor.

'Come Davy, we've taken up enough of the captain's time' Jimmy said guiding David towards the doors. The sun made the boy squint his eyes as he once again stepped on deck and yet he could make out Toothpick's evil glare from the stern 'just ignore him Davy' Jimmy said as he felt David's shoulder tense beneath his hand. _That's easy for you to say _thought David as he went below deck.

'Why does he hate me?' David finally asked when they were both alone.

'He's just cruel and unkind, seems it's a fate that happens to a lot of sailors, but don't worry yourself about it Davy I'm here to make sure ye don't suffer that fate' Jimmy winked 'How old are ye, lad?'

'Eight, sir' David said as he was handed a mop.

'You needn't be calling me sir, Davy' Jimmy laughed as he slid a bucket of water towards the boy 'I presume ye know how to wash the floor' David nodded looking a little deflated 'Welcome to the glorious life of a sailor Davy Jones'.

**/Author's note: hey guys, so I was watching POTC2 the other day and I just love the story between Davy Jones and Calypso, there's so much we don't know, so I thought (insert Thanos's voice) I'll do it myself and here we are. I hope you enjoy this fanfic.**


	2. Lessons

_Chapter 2_

_Lessons_

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

_The Caribbean_

_6 weeks later_

'What do ye mean, ye can't swim?' Jimmy asked as he and Davy walked through the busy market. Swerving through the crowd as they bartered for jewellery, fish and fruit (some of which Davy had never even seen before let alone what they were called).

'My mother never allowed me in the water so I never learned' Davy shrugged, panting as he tried to keep up with Jimmy. It was definitely hotter here in the Caribbean than it was in Scotland as he felt the sweat run down his face.

'Well isn't that a tragedy?' turning sharply, Jimmy grabbed Davy by the shoulder 'this way, lad' walking out of the market square, they passed through a narrow street, until the sound of crashing waves could be heard.

'What are we doing here?' Davy wondered as he felt the soft sand give way underneath his feet.

'Isn't it obvious?' Jimmy said taking his shirt off as well as his boots 'I'm gonna teach ye how to swim' proceeding to splash in the water as he went in deeper before turning around to see Davy standing there sheepishly 'are you waiting for an invitation, lad?'

'What if I drown?' Davy said worrying, slightly swaying from side to side, trying to not let his anxiety show. He remembered the stories his mother would tell him about how his father had died at sea, remembering how she had told him his father would have suffocated as his lungs filled with water, and how he struggled beneath the waves, desperate for one gasp of air. She had always warned him to stay away from the sea, saying he would meet the same fate if he ever went near the ocean.

Jimmy smirked 'hence the lessons'. Feeling defeated Davy took off his own shirt and boots and moved to the shallows 'come here, lad' Jimmy grabbed Davy underneath his chest and legs so he was laying on his stomach on the water 'now gently kick with your legs and push your arms through the water'. Jimmy wasn't sure how to describe what happened next but he sure wouldn't call it swimming, the number of times he was almost hit or kicked by the young lad was unprecedented 'lad, I'm teaching ye how to swim not how to do your best octopus impression, now just relax and let the water hold your weight'.

Davy sighed trying to relax his body as best he could. Doing as Jimmy had instructed he cupped his hands as he moved them through the water whilst gently kicking. Now he wasn't panicking, he could feel himself being supported not just by Jimmy but by the sea itself. It surprised him but he was actually having fun, feeling the warmth of the sun and the ocean, hearing the gulls flying above him, smelling the salt in the air. He looked up only to find Jimmy was no longer there, becoming very alarmed he stopped all movement and suddenly felt himself sinking beneath the waves. Above all his splashing he called hear Jimmy shouting telling him to 'keep moving' but he couldn't as he held his breath slipping further down into the water. Perhaps his mother was right; he would die at sea just like his father.

'_Davy Jones_' he snapped opened his eyes, that woman! He thought it had all been a dream but there she was again. Who was she? Where was she? Before he could ponder on it any further and more importantly before he ran out of air, he felt an arm wrap around his waist and pull him up to the surface.

'Not too bad, lad. Ye weren't great either but another couple of lessons and I'll wager you'll be swimming the Atlantic back home' Jimmy laughed as he carried Davy back to the shore. He sat the young boy down on the sand and patted his back firmly as Davy had been coughing the whole way, spitting out some sea water 'that's it, lad, get it all out'.

'You…let…go' Davy said between coughs.

'Aye, lad. I can only teach ye so much before I have to let go, it's the only way ye can learn' Jimmy explained, putting his shirt and boots back on before helping Davy with his. 'Come on; let's get back to the ship'.

_Later that evening._

Davy and Jimmy were scrubbing the deck, all the other crew had gone to the local tavern a few hours ago. Jimmy had volunteered to stay with the lad, jokingly telling the boy he owed him a bottle of rum once he was old enough to purchase one.

'Jimmy, today whilst I was in the water, I heard…a voice' Davy stated all of a sudden.

'Aye, that was me telling ye not to drown' Jimmy replied, not bothering to look up from his task.

Davy shook his head 'no, it was a woman'

The older boy smiled 'perhaps it was a mermaid coming to save ye…or eat ye' he looked Davy up and down and squeezed his arm gently 'though ye are a bit scrawny, perhaps she could pick her teeth with ye bones' he laughed as he went back to scrubbing the deck.

Davy narrowed his eyes 'mermaids aren't real'.

Jimmy feigned shock horror 'a non-superstitious sailor, I don't think I've ever heard of such a thing' laughing slightly 'besides I've seen one'

The young boy widened his eyes 'you have?!'

'Aye, we were in the Mediterranean, when we heard singing. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. Then as we looked over the starboard bow, that's when we saw her. She came right up to the ship'. He looked to see the young boy completely entranced by his story 'she raised her tail from the water and then SPLASH!' Jimmy shouted as he himself splashed Davy with soapy water. He laughed wholeheartedly at the sight of the young boy now covered in soap duds.

'Hey, no fair' Davy smiled, quickly splashing his own bucket of soapy water on Jimmy, the two of them sat there laughing at each other until they heard footsteps climbing up the gangplank. To Jimmy's surprise they belonged to Toothpick, who was usually the last to leave the tavern unless of course his plan was to catch the two boys alone.

'Well, look who we have here' Toothpick sneered, as he staggered around on deck, clearly having drunk too much alcohol that he couldn't even stand still.

Jimmy stood in front of Davy, knowing the boy was going to be the cruel sailor's first target 'you're drunk, Toothpick, go to bed and sleep it off. We don't want any trouble'.

Before either boy could react, Toothpick had wrapped his hand around Jimmy's throat and pushed him into the mast. Davy got up to his feet to help his friend but Jimmy held up his hand, silently telling the younger lad to stay where he was.

'Ye stopped me punishing this boy once before Jimmy, did ye really think I'd let ye do it again?' Toothpick snarled.

'No, I don't. However you might find it hard to do so if ye can't stand up' Toothpick gave the boy a confused look before Jimmy kneed him straight in his manhood, making him double over and let go of his hold on Jimmy.

'Quick, Davy!' the boys started to run towards the gangplank but unfortunately it was not fast enough as Toothpick grabbed the younger lad's collar and yanked him back onto the ship. Balling his right hand into a fist, he was about to strike the boy when Jimmy held his arm back, much like he did when he first met Davy.

'Let him go, Toothpick' Jimmy shouted.

The sailor laughed sinisterly 'have it your way' he dropped Davy to the floor and with his left hand; he punched Jimmy on the nose, sending him backwards. Toothpick walked up to the boy, who was holding his nose, the blood streaming from his hand.

'What the hell is going on here?!' All three of them looked up to see Captain Ryder as well as some of the crew standing there. Seeing an opportunity to move without getting hurt by Toothpick, Davy rushed over to his friend's side.

'Captain…I…' Toothpick stuttered.

The captain marched so he was toe to toe with the sailor 'did I not forbid you from punishing this boy?'

'Aye, Captain…but'

'But nothing!' the captain shouted. Davy was a little taken back, not just by the captain's anger but how Toothpick's whole persona seemed to have changed in the presence of Captain Ryder. It was in that moment Davy realised not only did a Captain command respect; they also needed to be feared. 'Perhaps you need some time to think on how you can follow orders better and if there's any other incidents involving these boys, I am going to hold you personally responsible. Am I making myself clear?'

'Aye, Captain' Toothpick muttered unhappily.

'Good. Now sleep off the Rum' the sailor skulked off to the lower deck. The captain turned to see several others of the crew help the young boys to their feet 'Do you need help with your nose, Jimmy?' the captain enquired, worryingly.

The boy shook his head gently 'no, sir. We'll be fine' he said as he pushed Davy towards the kitchen quickly, still holding his nose.

They entered the door, looking through the cupboards; he finally came across some old rags. He turned around about to press the rag to his nose only to see Davy had sat himself down and was…crying. He sighed and passed the rag to the younger boy before retrieving another one for himself.

'Why are ye crying? I'm the one who got smacked' Jimmy asked, carefully applying the rag to his nose.

'It's…my fault…you got…hit' Davy said between sobs.

Jimmy looked at the boy saddened; he kneeled in front of Davy and laid his hand on the boy's shoulder 'no, it wasn't your fault, Davy' he said gently, hoping to calm the boy down. But unfortunately Davy was till crying. 'Ye wanna know a secret?' the boy looked up and nodded slightly, Jimmy smiled 'I had a little brother; he would have been around your age by now'.

'Would have?' Davy asked quietly, hiccupping more than sobbing now.

'Aye, he died when he was four. Ye see, my mother quickly went out to the neighbours, I can't even remember why, but she left me in charge. It was just me and Billy alone and it had been my birthday the day previously and I was too busy playing with my new toys to notice that my mother had left the door open, to notice that Billy had wondered off outside, to notice the…the carriage that was racing towards him.' He recounted tearfully, but smiled as he cupped Davy's cheek 'ye remind me of him, lad'.

'I wish you were my brother' Davy said.

'And who's to say I'm not' Jimmy laughed 'and brothers always look out for each other'.


End file.
